Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The presidential race in North Carolina remains neck-and-neck, according to a new poll, with virtually no voters still undecided.

The survey, released Wednesday by Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling, found President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney tied with 49 percent each.

The poll also found that Obama is winning among early voters in the state, 58 percent to 41 percent. Romney is ahead among those who have not yet voted, 58 percent to 40 percent, according to the survey from the Democratic-leaning firm.

This is the second week in a row that PPP found the presidential race deadlocked in North Carolina.

But PPP's Wednesday survey comes on the heels of a poll done for WRAL-TV in Raleigh that found Romney ahead 50 percent to 45 percent in the Tar Heel State.

Both campaigns addressed their North Carolina prospects during Wednesday conference calls with reporters. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said that "our margin continues to increase every day in (early voting sites) all across the state.

And he charged that that Romney's campaign was bluffing in its claims of momentum.

"He hasn't put a single battleground state away," Messina said. "remember when Romney was going to leave North Carolina (by pulling out some staff)? They've now raced to increase their TV ads there." That, added Messina, is "the clearest sign of all" that North Carolina is till up for grabs.

Romney's campaign team told reporters that North Carolina is drifting away from Obama.

"This is one that I get a kick out of that I'm still talking about," political director Rich Beeson said while commenting on the different battleground states.

He said that while early voting turnout still favors registered Democrats in North Carolina, Republicans have cut that gap by 100,000 votes from 2008 numbers.

"North Carolina continues to move further and further from (Obama), as evidenced that they have not had the president down there since he left the convention," Beeson said, referring to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

If I were a Romney supporter, I wouldn't worry too much about this poll. I wouldnt worry about Monday's Elon poll that also showed the race tied in N.C. Romney has the race in North Carolina all but wrapped up. Isn't that what the Romney campaign keeps on saying?

Kinda strange that Romney keeps spending precious resources here in North Carolina. You would think those campaign dollars would be better spent in Iowa or Ohio. Or maybe North Carolina isn't solidly in the Romney win column at all. Maybe we're looking at another razor thin victory for the president.

Romney may be the most disingenuous and politically soul-less person ever to run for President. Is he the Moderate , Socialist Medicine providing Governor of Massachusetts or the severely Conservative, shape shifting, say anything to win Presidential candidate? Romney can't close the deal because people are realizing that he is a hollow shell that rolls with the wind.

Here's a tip, I heard all the facts and figures about that PPP poll. As one poster suggested they over polled Democrats so that's the reason for the poll results from them. They under polled both independents and Republicans and over polled Democrats. So much for the big mouth lefties who jump on every ounce of hope they can find. That light at the end of the PPP tunnel is a train not daylight for Obama. The Elon poll, what can I say, lol. If you want to bank your hope on Elon go ahead. Romney is safely ahead in North Carolina and it's going to take a lot of courage for you lefties to show up here after the election when we will be shouting with capital letters, "I TOLD YOU ROMNEY WOULD WIN."

All those folks who are checking off North Carolina as an easy win for Romney might want to rethink things. Even FOX News admits that "recent polling shows North Carolina tightening" and Real Clear Politics last week threw North Carolina back into the toss-up category. The momentum for the election would appear to be in President Obama's favor with less than a week to go.

There's a reason they poll more Dems than Reps -- that is how they adjust for the fact that there are more registered Dems than Reps in NC (check out NC BOE website). I would rather a poll be an accurate reflection of the state. Otherwise, what's the point?

About this blog

The purpose of this blog is to share developments, stories and other information behind the city of Charlotte's quest to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention and North Carolina's role in the presidential election.